The Day I Fell Off of a Tree
by momocandy
Summary: Love at first sight is something that only happens in all those crappy fairytales. Look at me - the first time I met the love of my life was when I fell off of a freaking tree and landed right smack on top of him.
1. Ninja Cats

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN RE-EDITED. **

**Another random idea popped into my head and so, TADA! A new fanfic! **

**I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Come on, you damn kitty, get over here," I demanded impatiently as I leaned forward on the tree branch, reaching out toward an amber-white stray.

To my displeasure, the cat just meowed unwillingly and shuffled back. The tree branch wobbled, sending a flurry of sakura petals fluttering to the ground, and I yelped in alarm. Heart pounding, I frantically grabbed onto the bark to steady myself, letting out a sigh of relief afterwards.

"Mikan Sakura, what have you gotten yourself into?" I muttered, scowling in frustration at the small, yet cunning animal perched only a foot and a half away.

The kitten started to lick its forepaw daintily, seemingly bored. I took this chance to lunge at it again, but it dodged my attack with ease. Instead, I almost fell, and after banging my arm roughly on the branch in a panicked attempt to keep myself upright, I gritted my teeth angrily and glared at the irksome animal. As if challenging me, the kitten returned the glare with an amber-eyed look of pure innocence.

And to think that, just a few moments before, I saw it as a helpless and stranded little creature. Turns out it was actually a tiny beast sent from hell to steal my precious Saturday afternoon. Really, I could be hanging out with Hotaru and the others in Central Town around this time, popping Howalon fluffs into my mouth and whatnot.

Howalon...

My mouth watered at the thought of my favorite sweet and my eyes narrowed once again at the wretched cat sitting before me—the only thing standing between me and my Howalon.

And _nothing_ can keep me from getting my Howalon.

"Your pranks end here, little kitty," I rolled up my sleeves, trying my best to pull off an intimidating smile.

Apparently I failed, or the cat was immune to creepy smiles, because it just meowed nonchalantly and continuing preening itself.

"Okay, you asked for this..."

And I lunged.

.

.

.

Stupidest thing I've ever done. No doubt.

I mean, trying to catch a _cat_ on a _tree_? Was was I thinking?

I failed _miserably_.

Duh.

But I actually failed more than I thought.

When I got up after my, what, tenth try, the cat wasn't even on the tree anymore.

Let me repeat that. The cat wasn't on the DAMN TREE.

I froze and slowly tilted my head downwards.

I met a pair of mocking amber eyes.

Yep, the cat was on the ground.

The frigging GROUND.

I watched it give me one last triumphant look, a ha-I'm-all-the-way-down-here-and-you-can't-do-anyt hing-about-it look, and then prance away, little snobby nose in the air.

I was left all alone on the branch to ponder the purpose of my life.

A cat just trolled me.

Kiss my sweet dignity goodbye.

I think I might've sat on that tree branch for the rest of the day, staring out into space like an idiot, if not for Mr. Autumn Breeze.

Autumn breezes were chilly.

I was wearing the school uniform. Without the jacket.

I hated the cold.

Put that all together and I had a good enough reason to get off the tree.

* * *

Easier said than done.

_Much_ easier said than done.

My eyes literally ballooned to the size of soccer balls when I looked down.

Oh, it would be so nice if I could transform into a cat right now.

Why?

Because then I wouldn't have to worry about DYING.

Why couldn't humans have nine lives?

Or at least awesome ninja skills?

I swallowed and gripped the bark tighter.

"Okay, you can do this. Just go slow and steady."

I took a deep breath.

My heart was pounding against my chest like a crazy bass drum, and that did nothing to help my current situation.

Inch by inch I started scooting backwards.

_Ba-dum...Ba-dum...Ba-dum..._

Inch by inch I got closer to the trunk.

_BA-DUM...BA-DUM...BA-DUM..._

Almost...there...

My hands reached for safety—

"Hey."

I think I died a little inside.

Jolting violently in surprise at the sudden voice, it wouldn't take a genius to guess what happened next.

Yep, my butt slipped.

And my butt was the only thing keeping me on the branch.

Which pretty much meant I was falling.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I was falling straight toward a boy I had never even noticed was there.

"MOVE, IDIOT, MOVE!"

I am _so_ telling God to make that kitty pay for my life insurance.

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow," I winced as I slowly opened my eyes.

Wait, ow?

I didn't feel any pain.

Was I dead?

"You're heavy. Get off," a cold voice startled me.

No, I guess not.

Looking down, I realized that the reason for my miraculous survival was not because of sudden immortality, but because I had landed on a guy's torso instead of the solid ground.

"Whoa!" I immediately scrambled up, my face warm. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

This was going beyond embarrassment. If the guy was hurt, I would definitely pay for his medical bills.

The boy slowly pushed himself off of the grass, and to my relief and slight amazement, he was uninjured. Then I saw his face and my breathing hitched involuntarily in my throat as my stupid hormones took over.

Holy snickerdoodles.

The guy looked around my age and had messy, raven-black hair, but the most alluring feature of his were his eyes. Fiery crimson—they just captured you and seemed to go on forever. So much more dazzling than my dull brown irises. I envied him.

But I also had the strangest feeling that I had seen those crimson eyes somewhere before. _Exactly_ where, I had no idea. I mean, I'm pretty sure I would've remembered if I had met this guy someplace before—my memory wasn't_ that_ much of a failure. For all I knew he could've been the cover model of one of Sumire's fashion magazines.

So basically, the boy that sat before me now was drop-dead gorgeous.

Like an Abercrombie God.

I can't believe I just thought that.

Luckily for me, _sexiness_ didn't have much effect on my system. Sure, sometimes my hormones would kick in and I would do a bit of staring, but when that passes, I don't start flirting or stuttering or embarrassing myself in front a hot guy, which I _know_ a lot of girls do. Honestly, who are we to judge people by their looks?

The boy's irritated voice broke through my thoughts.

"The fuck was that?"

I couldn't resist rolling my eyes.

Why is it that every 'cool' guy in school just _has_ to curse? Not that I don't, but seriously!

"What?" I replied smartly.

Okay, maybe a little less on the smart side, but it was better than nothing.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You just fell off a damn tree and broke my ribs, little girl."

_Little girl? _My lips curved into a slight frown. Now that was a bit insulting. I wasn't_ that_ short. But I pushed those thoughts aside and bowed my head apologetically. I wouldn't go quarreling with a stranger I had just fallen on top of.

"I'm really,_ really_ sorry! I'll—I'll do anything to make up for it," I promised.

Usually I don't say those kinds of things, but I_ did_ feel very guilty at the moment.

The boy smiled slyly.

"Anything?" he echoed.

"Anything," I confirmed, though I was starting to wonder if this was such a good idea. I mean, I had _no_ idea who this guy was—

"Kiss me."

I blinked.

"What?"

The boy smirked. "You said you would do anything, so kiss me."

Kiss him? Oh, that was easy—

"No, you fool." I whacked the guy over the head.

"Damn, woman, that hurt—"

"Under_ no_ circumstances am I giving my first kiss to a complete stranger," I stated firmly. "I'm not _that_ gullible."

I knew these kinds of boys. The players—the bad boys. I wasn't afraid of them, but they could still be dangerous.

A flicker of amusement danced in the guy's crimson eyes.

"Hey, did you know that if you say the word 'orange' really slowly, it'll sound like 'gullible'?" he suggested nonchalantly.

I frowned. Was this a joke?

"Or...an...ge..." I drawled.

After a few seconds of deep thought, I turned to the boy and huffed, "I don't get it."

The boy only snorted. "You fell for it."

"What?"

"You actually fell for it."

"Fell for what?" I pushed.

"Eat your words, little girl. You're pretty gullible," the guy smirked.

"No, I'm not! And what did I fall for? What are you talking about?" I demanded, annoyed.

He raised his eyebrows. "You seriously haven't figured it out?"

"C'mon, just tell me!" I pressed.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because."

I pouted.

"Meanie!"

The boy ran a hand through his raven tresses and sighed.

"Look, do you have any friends?"

Now _that _was offending.

"Of course I have friends! Lots and lots of them! What, did you think I was some loner—"

"Then ask your friends," he advised simply.

I shot him a glare, but did indeed make a mental note to consult Hotaru about the orange question later.

"Well, do _you_ have any friends?" I grumbled, still upset from the insult.

The boy looked a me curiously, his crimson eyes deep and unreadable. I cocked my head.

"What?"

"Nothing...but yeah, I have friends."

"How much?"

"...a lot."

"How much is a lot?"

"More than you can imagine."

"Oh really?" I challenged. "More than me?"

"_Muuuuch_ more," the boy stretched snobbily.

"Hmph, I don't believe you." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

The boy shrugged. "I don't care."

There was silence for a few moments. I found it surprising how easy it was to talk to this person that I had never met before. Almost as if we had known each other for ages.

He was still a jerk though. Definitely.

"Are you new here?" he asked suddenly.

I blinked.

"Um...yeah...I got enrolled into the academy about a month ago...but I bet I still have a lot more friends than you!"

"What's your name?"

I eyed him skeptically.

"That's a stupid question. I'm not telling."

Good or not, this guy was still a stranger. I wasn't going to give him any personal info.

"Stubborn, huh?" the boy smirked. "Well, technically I'm your classmate, and besides, you used me for a landing mat when you fell off that tree. I think I have a right to know."

I pouted. "Whose fault do you think that was? I told you to move, didn't I?"

But the boy didn't say anything. He just waited. There was a long, heavy silence. I started fidgeting around and twiddling my fingers. Silence was the number one thing I just couldn't stand. I mean, it's just so _awkward, _don't you think? After a few more seconds of quiet torture, I threw my hands up in defeat.

"Fine! Sakura Mikan! You happy now?" I scowled.

He nodded smugly. "Hn."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"If you start stalking me I'm gonna call the police," I warned.

He scoffed. "Like that would ever happen, stupid."

I tried glaring daggers at him, but that only made that annoying smirk appear on his lips again.

Grr, I hated this. I hated him.

"What about _your_ name, huh?" I realized. "You need to tell me too. It's only fair that way, right?"

The goddamn smirk stayed on his lips.

"You'll find out soon enough."

I felt a sharp jab of annoyance at his stuck-up attitude and opened my mouth to protest, but any forming words were cut off by another comment.

"You shouldn't sit on a tree branch that high above the ground while wearing a skirt, idiot."

Before I could even fully comprehend that statement, the boy stood up and started walking away.

"See ya, Polka-Dots." He raised his right hand in a quick gesture of farewell.

_Wait, Polka-Dots...?_

The boy's footsteps were getting farther away.

Then it clicked.

A stream of incoherent sounds spluttered from my mouth as I pointed a furious, shaking finger at the stranger's back, my cheeks burning.

"You...You...You PERVERT!"

I swear I heard a chuckle.

If I had any positive opinions about this guy before, I completely take them back. He was dangerous and evil and he was _not_ getting away with what he just did.

Revenge is sweet, you know?

* * *

**And there's the first chapter!**

**Wow, I made Mikan curse a lot... Are you guys okay with that?**

**And do you think its good enough to continue?**

**I know I'm asking a lot, but please review or critique to let me know!****  
**

**Luv ya lots! 3**

**-momocandy XD**


	2. Oops, I Did It Again

**Hope you're enjoying my story so far! **

**Roll chappie! XD**

* * *

Over the weekends we're allowed to go home, though I usually I stay at the dorms with my girlfriends.

But of course, today was a _special_ case.

So I went back to my territory and told Grandpa all about the perverted boy.

Me and Grandpa live together in a small house near the school. I have no parents, but unlike most kids, I could care less. Grandpa told me they died when I was just a baby, so I have no memories of them whatsoever. And I'm totally fine with that. As long as I have Grandpa I'm happy.

When I finished my humiliating story, Grandpa just chuckled and stroked his little wisp of a beard. "You say this boy has red eyes?"

I nodded.

Grandpa's wise brown eyes twinkled. "Interesting..."

"Grandpa!" I whined. "Who cares about his eyes? You're supposed to be trying to make me feel better!"

At this he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm afraid I can't."

I tilted my head curiously. "Why not?"

He set down his mug in all seriousness. "Because this problem is too..._young_ for me to handle."

I spit out the tea I had been drinking.

Too _young?_

"Anyways, I'm sure you already have something plotted for him?" Grandpa quickly changed the subject, tossing me a paper towel to clean up the mess.

"Hell yeah," I said after I had stopped coughing.

"Well then, Mikan, I'm sure you can make yourself feel better."

He ended the conversation with a sip of his tea.

I sighed and smiled. "Gotcha. Thanks Grandpa."

After wiping the table clean of the contents spewn from my mouth, I got up and started for my room.

But just before I stepped out of the door, Grandpa's voice stopped me.

"You know, Mikan, life is full of surprises."

I turned around and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering where _that_ had come from, but Grandpa had already went back to reading his newspaper. So I just shrugged and left.

* * *

Okay, even though I _did_ say I had something plotted for that perverted jerk last night, I actually don't.

No surprise there.

I had originally planned to scheme up something while I lay in bed that night, but as soon as I switched off the light my brain blanked out with it and I immediately fell asleep.

So now, as I'm walking to school, I'm practically _killing_ myself trying to come up with a revenge that will render that boy speechless.

Literally.

A car scared the shit out of me when I was crossing a road—I swear, it missed me by a _centimeter—_and when I looked up I saw that the traffic light was green. Apparently, I had been too submerged into my troubling thoughts to notice the red hand blinking at me from the other side of the road, and had _barely_ escaped from being squashed into a Mikan pancake.

But it was still a fruitless toil. After discarding my tenth idea of making the boy slip on a banana peel and fall into a trash can, I decided I needed major help from someone who had experience with stuff like this.

My thoughts immediately focused on one person. Yep, she was definitely the girl for the job. Miss Einstein.

Only...I didn't have any of my morning classes with her. My excitement went down the drain when I realized I would have to postpone my evil plots until lunch.

And that's when I saw the bunny.

Now, I'm no science expert, but I'm pretty sure that _bunnies_ don't live on big plants with leaves. So _why_ was this one on a tree?

Looking closer, I saw that the bunny was scared out of its wits. It sat unmoving in the middle of the branch, seemingly frozen with fear.

Then I noticed that the tree was the same one I had fallen off of the other day.

Awesome.

Without hesitation, I decided I was going to help the poor animal.

I mean, I couldn't just walk away and leave it stranded on the tree!

And it clearly did not have secret ninja skills like that darned cat fom yesterday.

I figured I had at least fifteen minutes before school started since I had left the house earlier today. Since I was already mega friendly with the tree trunk, it didn't take long for me to get up again, and I was sitting on the branch in less than a minute.

The bunny backed away hastily, probably startled at my sudden appearance.

I smiled, trying to show that I meant no harm. Argh, if only I could talk to animals.

"Don't be afraid, little bunny. I'm gonna help you get off of this tree."

I held my hands out slowly.

"Come on, now."

But the bunny avoided my touch and shuffled back even more. He was starting to get dangerously close to the tip of the branch. And I was pretty sure bunnies didn't have nine lives.

"No, come here, here," I urged, beginning to feel anxious. I didn't want to move forward, which might alarm the bunny even more, but I also didn't want to leave it in that risky position. I started to panic.

That's when I heard a boy yelling.

"Usagi, where are you? Usagi!"

I noticed the bunny perk up at the sound of his voice and realized that maybe this boy was his owner. That would help me a _lot_.

"Hey!" I called. "Over here!"

The boy heard me and came running in this direction. When he saw me on the tree his eyes widened visibly.

"Th-That's dangerous! You should come down!"

I snorted and reassured him with a wave of my hand. "Ha, dangerous? Dangerous is my middle name. You don't have to worry about me. Anyways, what I called you here for—do you happen to have a lost bunny?"

I pointed at the said animal.

The boy's eyes followed my finger and his face immediately brightened, like a lightbulb switching on.

"Usagi!"

If bunnies could smile, then I'm sure this one was having a super gigantic one.

I let out a big sigh of relief.

"Okie dokie, problem solved! Now let's get you down there to your, um...owner...master...whatever-you-call-it."

The bunny no longer seemed afraid, so I crawled forward tentatively.

"Wait, it's okay, you don't have to—I can go up there myself and—" the boy stuttered as he watched me anxiously.

"Geez, I'm already on the tree, it doesn't matter!" I concentrated as I reached for the bunny.

_I will not mess up...I will not mess up..._

The bunny didn't move. I gently scooped it into my arms, and when it remained still, felt myself relax.

"Whoop! Misson accomplished!" I cheered. "Finally I did something right—"

That's when very _strong_ wind blew.

Mother Nature is a big, fat bully.

Because both of my hands were occupied by the bunny, I had no means of stabling myself and therefore started tilting backwards.

"Watch out!" the boy cried, but it was already too late.

I found myself falling off of the _same_ tree for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. Clutching the bunny protectively against my chest, I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Okay, this time, I really am going to die._

_._

_._

_._

Or not.

Suddenly, there was a sharp tug on my left leg and my fall was stopped short. My first thought was that I had awakened supernatural powers and was magically floating, but, almost as if he had read my mind, a masculine voice said, "Stupid."

I frowned. It was a very familiar, unpleasant voice.

I tried to see who it was, just to make sure, then found it was impossible because I was hanging upside-down.

Wait...hanging upside-down?

I looked at the boy below me and saw that he was staring intently at the ground, his face beet red.

Before I could connect two and two together, I heard the very unpleasant voice again.

"Little girl, you're wearing polka dots again today?"

The words hit me like a slap to the face.

God, I seriously needed to realize things faster.

My cheeks turned a furious shade of red and my anger boiled up until I swear I felt steam shooting out of my ears—like in the cartoons.

"Let me go, you molester, pervert! LET ME GO!" I screamed bloody murder and tried to kick him with my other leg, which failed horribly. I'm not exactly the flexible type. I would've thrashed around a lot more though if not for the innocent little bunny still nested in my arms.

"Fine." I heard him say.

And then he let go.

Miraculously, I managed to land on my back instead of cracking my head on the ground, but still, it hurt like hell.

"Are you okay?" the other boy rushed over to me. His face was no longer red, so I assumed my undergarments were safely hidden now.

"Um...maybe?" I winced. "But at least I got your bunny." I held it out to him and he took it gratefully, although there was still a guilty expression on his face.

Now that I had a closer look at him, I once again had that strange feeling that I had seen this boy somewhere before. He had golden blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, another dazzling model face. But again, like the pervert, I couldn't quite place him.

Shrugging it off, I slowly lifted myself into sitting position. The pain was starting to fade away. I hadn't really been injured anywhere, it was just the stun of the impact.

"It's okay," I patted the blonde boy's shoulder, making him jump a little. "I was the one who wanted to rescue your bunny anyways."

I paused, thinking that over.

"No...actually—" I sent a death glare up into the tree where the pervert still stood. "It's _his_ fault."

The Jerk noticed me and smirked, which made me feel like climbing back up there to sock him in the jaw.

Then he _jumped._

My mouth dropped open.

The guy freaking _jumped_ off of the tree like a freaking ninja cat and landed lightly next to the blonde boy _without_ twisting an ankle or dying.

_Well_.

He's probably not human. No surprise there.

I was already pissed that I was seeing this guy again first thing in the morning. Now I was pissed even more.

"Natsume, you know her?" the blonde boy asked.

My eyebrows went up.

Woah. Wait a second. Those two guys...they were _acquaintances? _

The Jerk grinned slyly.

"Oh, I know her."

I immediately shot him a glare and crossed my arms.

"No, you don't. You're just the big jerk I met yesterday. And why are you here anyways?"

I gasped with sudden realization.

"Wait, are you stalking me? 'Cause I clearly remember telling you not to. You know, I will _legit_ call the police if you're stalking me."

I took out my phone to make it seem more threatening, but the guy remained unfazed and only rolled his crimson eyes.

"You need to chill, little girl. I was just trying to help him find his rabbit." He gestured to the blonde boy, who nodded.

I admit I was mildly surprised. This jerk doing something nice for others?

That was a first.

But then again, I only met him yesterday...

Whatever, Grandpa had always told me that first impressions were very important. And this guy definitely did not leave a good first impression.

"Is falling off of trees a habit for you now?" the Jerk snickered. "I guess stupid girls like you just don't learn."

I was insulted.

"_Excuse_ me? I am _not_ stupid. Well, I'm sucky at math, but that's beyond the point. I am a _very_ talented girl," I emphasized with an angry stamp of my foot.

"Really? Then surprise me," the Jerk challenged.

"Oh, I will," I muttered with a glare.

I still had that revenge to plan, and this guy didn't know it. I couldn't wait to see the expression on his face when I mega-pwned him.

_BAM. _

It would be priceless.

"Um..." The blonde boy stood between us, looking a bit lost.

I didn't blame him.

Giving the Jerk one last glare, I walked over to the blonde, grateful for a distraction.

"Hey, your bunny is really cute!"

The blonde blinked. He looked uncertainly at me, then over my shoulder at the Jerk. Finally, after letting out a tiny, exasperated sigh, he replied shyly.

"Oh...really?"

A light tinge of pink dusted his cheeks.

"All bunnies are cute," I stated matter-of-factly. "Do you keep this one with you at school?"

"Yeah...the teachers let me..." the blonde replied, stroking the animal lovingly.

Cute, shy, kind, _and_ a sucker for animals—I was really starting to like this guy.

"Even Jin-Jin?" I asked in disbelief.

"Jin-Jin...? You mean Jinno-sensei?" he laughed. "Yeah, he lets me, as long as Usagi doesn't, like, crap on the table or something."

I snorted. "Oh, you're lucky. If I let even an _ant _into the classroom, Jin-Jin would give me this whole damn lecture about keeping his room sanitary and clean."

The boy cracked a smile. "So I take it that the old man doesn't like you...?"

"Doesn't like me?" I scoffed. "He _hates_ my frigging guts! And just because I suck at math!"

"No shit," I heard the Jerk mutter. "He's a _math_ teacher."

Fortunately for him, I pretended I didn't hear that.

"Anyways," I grinned at the blonde boy. "I'm Sakura Mikan! What's your name?"

"What's my...name?" the boy repeated, as if he weren't used to people asking him this. "Oh, um...it's—" He was interrupted by the distant ringing of a bell.

The ONE MINUTE WARNING BELL for class.

"Oh shit, I'm late! Jin-Jin's gonna _kill_ me!" I grabbed my bag and ran frantically for the school.

"It was nice meeting you! I hope I see you again soon!" I waved to the blonde boy. He was a bit flustered at my sudden departure, but nevertheless smiled and waved back.

_Ha, I made another new friend_, I smirked to myself as I sped down the hall.

The Jerk might be better than me at a lot of stuff, but there was no way he could surpass my friend-making skills.

He wanted surprise? I'll give him surprise. I'll show that Jerk.

.

.

.

But of course, I had to survive through Jin-Jin's math class first.

* * *

**Okay, done!**

**I know my story's not much right now, but things will get interesting soon! Please hang around!**

**And tell me your completely honest opinions on this story. Trust me, no matter how harsh they are, they still make me feel better than sugar-coated words. **

**My goal is to improve my writing, so don't be afraid to spill it all out!**

**Thanks so much!**

**-momocandy XD**


	3. Pedo Stalkers

**Holy crap.**

**How long did it take me to update this?**

**Let's see... about one-and-a-half months.**

**AHHHHHH!**

**But sadly, now that school's started, I won't have as much time as before, so I'm sorry to say that my updates will continue to be this slow.**

**...**

**Unless you're lucky.**

**Well, I hope this VERY long chapter is satisfying to compensate for the VERY long wait you guys had to endure...**

**:)**

* * *

"You're late, Sakura," Jin-Jin growled as I stumbled into class. "_Again_."

The room fell silent—no one dared utter a word.

I bowed frantically in apology, still gasping for air from the mad dash I used to get to this goddamn classroom. Which turned out to be a complete waste—if I had known I'd be late anyway I would've taken my time.

And now I had to face an angry Jin-Jin.

Yay.

"What is your excuse this time?" he demanded, giving me a frigid glare.

I felt a chill shiver through my body. Seriously, Jin-Jin was a living_ icicle-man_.

"Um...I was rescuing a bunny...from a tree..." I replied lamely.

Ha.

Good one.

I heard snickers escape from many of my classmates at my pathetic "excuse". Pfft, _I_ would've been laughing my ass off if this were all happening to somebody else. But no, this wasn't happening to someone else. So I obviously was not laughing.

And neither was Jin-Jin.

"Playing class clown, aren't you, Sakura? What do you take me for? A _fool_?" He tapped his favorite ruler steadily on his palm, his voice dangerously low.

Oh, I could've come up with a million of different responses to that question, but I don't think Jin-Jin wanted an answer. So I said nothing and just stared at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"_Rabbits_ do not _live _on _trees,_" he continued, stressing each word as if he were talking to a child. "Therefore, I'm afraid your excuse is invalid."

It was all I could do to keep myself from rolling my eyes.

"_Duh_," I muttered under my breath. "I never said it was _living_ on the tree."

Jin-Jin's eyes narrowed and I immediately shut up.

"Disrespecting your elders, aren't you?" he began softly.

I shook my head frantically and silently cursed my big, fat mouth.

"No, of course not, Jin-Jin! Why would I ever disrespect you? That's—just..._absurd_!" I tried to sound as genuine as possible.

Jin-Jin was not convinced.

"Detention, Sakura. Today, after school."

My mouth dropped open.

_After school?!_

Did he really hate me that much?

"B-But—!" I spluttered.

"Are you talking back to me now, Sakura?" Jin-Jin raised his eyebrows.

Crap.

I tried denying him again, but my efforts were futile.

"You have some nerve, girl. Teenagers like you are the ones I _hate_ the most."

Oh, I hate you too, Jin-Jin. It's all good.

Then icicle-man wrote something down in his notebook-planner thingy.

"Maybe detention for a week would help wash that smart mouth of yours."

For a second, I felt nothing.

Then I self-destructed.

BOOM.

Because, you know, a week.

A whole damn _week_.

My lips immediately parted to argue this incredibly _unreasonable_ decision, but I caught myself and clamped them shut before I could further ruin my life. Instead, I frantically scanned the classroom, searching for a certain someone who could possibly somehow save me.

Where...where...there!

I zoned in on a green-haired girl sitting in the far back of the classroom.

_Sumire, help meeeee!_ I tried sending her a telepathic message through my big, pleading eyes.

But my supposed best friend and dorm mate only glanced up for a fleeting moment, shrugged, and then continued to file her perfectly manicured french nails.

Traitor.

I shot her one of my best death glares and made a mental note to steal her favorite nail polish later and dump it down the toilet.

Serves her right for ignoring me when I'm _clearly_ in need of help.

"Do you need me to _tell_ you to sit down, Sakura?" Jin-Jin's ruler made a loud _snap_ as it hit his hand.

And you thought ruler-smacking was only back in the day, huh?

I shook my head vigorously and quickly hurried to my seat.

Goddammit, I have the crappiest life.

* * *

"Oh my god, Mikan, you are _so_ stupid!" Sumire laughed incredulously as we walked together in the hallway after Jin-Jin's hell of a math lesson. "You screwed up the easiest problem!"

"Thanks for the sympathy, Permy. I really needed it," I grumbled sarcastically.

"Don't call me Permy," Sumire frowned.

"Sure, Perms," I replied half-heartedly.

I vaguely heard someone complain, "That's the same bloody thing!" but I was already way too immersed in my own, _very_troubling thoughts.

_Urgh, detention with Jin-Jin...I think I'm starting to feel sick..._

I let out a very heavy sigh and continued to mope around in my pool of hopelessness.

"Hey, you were supposed to laugh," Sumire nudged my arm, shaking me from my thoughts. "Wasn't that funny...? Jesus, Mikan, did you even hear it?"

"Haha. Bravo, Permy," I said in monotone.

And then I continued to sulk.

Sumire sighed in exasperation and slapped my shoulder playfully. "Cheer up, Mikan! It's only an hour after school! Me and the girls'll have a box of Howalon ready for you every night you come back, 'kay?"

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled darkly. "You're not the one the old geezer has a pure hatred for. This is _Jin-Jin_ we're talking about."

"Then you don't want the Howalon?" Sumire poked at me slyly.

"No..." I started.

"Then smile, girlfriend!" My best friend pushed me childishly in attempt to cure my depression.

Boy, did she underestimate her own strength.

I lost my balance and ran straight into the wall, face planting myself on the yellow paint.

"Dammit, that hurt, Permy!" I clutched my throbbing head. "What the hell did you do that for?"

Sumire had her hand clamped tight over her mouth, but she still couldn't stop little stifles of laughter from seeping through her fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Mikan! I didn't mean to do that, I swear!" she apologized, her words stringed with giggles.

I pouted, trying to be angry.

But then the girl started laughing. Loud and clear.

And laughing is really contagious, you know?

So before long, I was laughing my ass off too.

* * *

Third period's just ended. Students are trying not to trip over each other as they hurry off to lunch. Lockers are slamming, once in a while on someone's fingers—that's when you hear the usual loud, colorful words. And here I am, chillin'...

...behind a giant flowerpot.

Wearing oversized hat and sunglasses.

I probably look like a pedo stalker.

No, I _know_ I look like a pedo stalker.

So, why did I suddenly have the urge to dress like a pedo stalker?

The answer is simple—it's a disguise.

Turns out I have a lot more on my hands than just the after-school torture sessions with Jin-Jin.

* * *

After parting with Sumire because, sadly, we did not have the same second period classes, I ran off to Serina-sensei's classroom and got there two minutes before the bell, sitting down in my seat like a good litte angel.

Yeah, I've always found it funny how I'm only late for Jin-Jin's class.

Serina-sensei is our weird 'n wacky astronomy teacher, and we actually learn interesting stuff in her class (unlike Jin-Jin's).

Unfortunately, I also share it with our school's biggest bitch, Luna Koizumi. Typical bleach blonde, rich, slutty girl that I _know_ we all hate. We don't talk to each other or anything, and I don't know much about her, but even just by having her prescence in the same room gets me pissed.

She's just so...bitchy, y'know?

Well, guess what? Today, Miss Bitchy Slut decided to pay me a special visit. And soon afterwards, I was practically flattened by a whole wave of crazed females. Looking back at it, I don't even know what happened.

So, in the last five minutes of class, Luna started walking toward me. And instead of passing by like she usually did, she stopped right before my desk. To tell the truth, I kinda freaked a little. I mean, this was _the_ Luna Koizumi! What the hell did she want from someone like_ me_?

The blondie looked me up and down with evident disgust, and it was all I could do _not_ to comment on the black lacy bra that was practically hanging _out_ of her V-neck blouse.

"Are you Mikan Sakura?" she finally asked me.

"Yeah," I replied simply. Nothing more, nothing less.

The next question was what caught me off guard:

"A little girlie told me that you were hanging out with Natsume and Ruka this morning, is that right?"

Her voice was pretty damn loud, and the room was pretty damn quiet.

I only had time to ask, "Who?" before every female in class sprang out of their seats and thundered toward me, screeching incoherent words.

I swear, it was as if I were a red flag and they were the bulls.

So what did I do?

I ran out of the classroom cursing and screaming.

Luckily, the bell had just rang, so I was soon lost in the crowd.

But still!

After that, people pointed at me and whispered in the halls. Some girls gave me dirty looks. Third period was even worse. Every second Misaki-sensei had his back turned to write some environmental science crap on the board, Luna, who also happened to be in the class (I _told_ you I have the worst luck), would turn around and shoot a glare my way, or whisper something to the girls sitting around her that would make them giggle and steal glances at me.

In the end, I had to take a thirty minute bathroom break, which pretty much meant skipping the rest of the period. I don't think Misaki-sensei noticed, since we had such a large class, but I'm _sure_ Luna did. Which meant she was going to be back for more. So, during that time, I found an extra-large baseball cap and a pair of those gigantic shades in my locker (I think I got them from a party or something) and put them on, so nobody would recognize me when I walked to lunch.

Only after bumping into a senior and making her scream bloody murder did I realize that there was no way I could go out looking like this.

And yet I couldn't walk around looking like _me_, either.

So what was my solution?

Hide behind a potted plant.

Smart, huh?

Nevertheless, I continued to sit there—still looking like a pedo stalker, still freaking people out if they just happened to come across me. As the halls got emptier and emptier, I rested my head on my knees and tried to remember why this was all happening in the first place.

The problem was, I couldn't remember. I was being shunned by mostly every single girl in the academy, and I had no idea why.

Great, Mikan, just great.

I tried to recall the two names that Luna had mentioned before. Ruka...and Natsume, was it?

Strange, the name 'Natsume' seemed a bit familiar...

.

.

.

"Mikan!"

I was suddenly glomped by someone—no, make that _two_ people, and almost screamed.

Almost, because halfway up my throat it became a pathetic squeak.

And because Mikan Sakura does_ not_ scream.

"Mikan, why the_ hell_ are you dressed like that?" a cute, girly voice I knew all too well giggled from behind.

"Yeah, you look like...a pedo stalker!" another very familiar voice exclaimed.

I turned around. Yep, there they were, my two other best buds—Little Miss Pink and Little Miss Blue.

"Anna! Nonoko! How many times have I told you two _not_ to jump on me like that?" I hissed, my heart still pounding from the surprise ambush.

Anna grinned and hugged me. "Aw, c'mon, Mikan! Don't be such a party-pooper!"

"And first, take those silly things off!" Nonoko added as she stole my shades and cap, proceeding to put both 'silly things' on herself.

"Hey!" I protested. "I need those!"

Anna and Nonoko looked at me curiously.

"Why?" they chorused.

"Because..." I started. Then I realized I actually _didn't_ need the disguise. "You know what? Screw. You can have them."

"Really?" Nonoko gasped. She immediately snatched the oversized glasses. "I call the shades!"

"Hey!" Anna whined. "No fair! I want them too!"

And so they proceeded to have a tug-of-war fight with the poor sunglasses. The poor baseball cap lay on the ground, forgotten.

I sighed.

Twins.

The halls were pretty much deserted now, except for the occasional straggler, so at least we didn't have an audience.

After Nonoko won a game of rock-paper-scissors and claimed the shades (Anna: "Phooey."), peace and quiet settled once again.

And now all three of us sat unspeaking behind the giant potted plant.

"Hey," I broke the silence.

You_ know_ how I don't like silence.

"—how did you two know it was me?" I continued, voicing my thoughts. "I mean, Nonoko, you even _told_ me that I looked like a pedo stalker!"

The twins giggled at this.

"You_ did_," Anna replied.

"But your _bag_ said otherwise," Nonoko pointed at my orange and pink tote bag.

On the side was the name 'MIKAN SAKURA' embossed in big, black letters.

I facepalmed myself.

My own tote gave away my identity! So much for a disguise...

"Remember the time Mikan went to get this bag?" Anna began talking excitedly to Nonoko.

"Of course!" Nonoko exclaimed. "She wanted us to come with her because the guy who was supposed to design it looked 'big and scary'!"

"Well, he_ was_!" Anna recalled, grinning. "And remember how Permy got so mad because she had to miss the big one-day sale at the mall just for this!"

"Can you believe it? She shoved down a whole _seven_ chocolate eclairs, and she didn't talk to Mikan for two days straight!" Nonoko chattered energetically.

And the conversation went on. Five minutes later, I clapped a hand on both of their shoulders.

"You know, I just _love_ how you two are talking to each other like I don't exist..." I reminded them.

...

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Mikan!" Anna apologized frantically.

"You know how we get, right?" Nonoko smiled apologetically.

I shook my head, amused. "No worries, girls! Apology accepted."

The two cheered happily.

"—but don't you think we should head over to lunch now? Miss Einstein and Permy are probably going to murder us when we get there," I snorted, getting up.

Anna and Nonoko gasped in unison. "Omigod! You're right! How long have we been sitting here?"

"Long enough," I answered.

My sore butt confirmed that.

* * *

BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA

I just _knew_ this was going to happen.

"Idiot, did you fall asleep in the bathroom?" Miss Einstein, aka my bestest best friend Hotaru, asked while pointing a weapon quite similar to a bazooka at my face.

She called it the 'Baka Gun', courtesy of the sound it made (Hotaru: "And the target." Me: "Hey!"), and said it was specially designed for me. Which I took as a great honor until I discovered what it was for. Now she uses the thing on me on a daily basis, and let me tell you, the punches hurt like freaking _hell_.

But me and Hotaru go all the way back to first grade, so we're really close nonetheless.

I hope.

"What about you two?" Sumire huffed at Anna and Nonoko, because apparently I was too dazed to answer anything. "Where the hell were you?"

"With Mikan," the twins chorused.

At once, Sumire turned her suspicious emerald eyes toward me. "And you were...?"

"Sitting behind a giant flowerpot!" the twins answered again before I could say anything.

I think I'm gonna steal my shades back later.

Hotaru's pretty amethyst eyes slid silently to me, but they were still as emotionless as ever.

Sumire looked somewhat pissed though.

"Mikan Sakura, you are paying for my lunch today," she affirmed as she grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the lunch line.

My mouth dropped open and I pulled back.

"What? No way! You are _not_ using up the little money I worked so hard to save these past two weeks!"

"But you made me wait for a whole _fifteen_ minutes just because you were doing something nonsensically _stupid_ and now I am starving to _death_! So you have to buy me lunch. Simple," Sumire explained, her arms crossed.

"No, not _simple_," I argued. "C'mon Perms, you only eat a tiny veggie _salad_ for lunch everyday. How can _you_ be starving?"

"I have to agree with Mikan on that one," Anna chimed.

Sumire ignored her.

"Well, I'm starving for my tiny veggie salad," she countered. "And maybe I'll take the one with chicken strips this time."

"I thought you were dieting?" Hotaru casually mentioned without looking up from her crab paste sandwich. (Bleargh, don't ask me why, but Hotaru has a scary obssession over crabs...)

"I _am_ dieting!" Sumire exclaimed in frustration. "But I still have to _eat_, you know! I don't want to become bloody anorexic like that Luna bitch!"

When she mentioned _her,_ I choked on...well, nothing. But I still choked.

Seriously, talking about Luna in my current situation was harmful to my health.

"You okay, Mikan?" Nonoko asked. "You look a little green...like you wanna barf or something."

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Barf, huh? You know, that's a pretty good idea..."

"Please refrain from saying such things while I'm eating." Hotaru crinkled her nose in disgust.

Nonoko covered her mouth and giggled. "Oops. Sorry, Hotaru."

Hotaru dismissed the matter with a simple wave of her hand, then turned to me.

"Mikan, spit it out," she ordered.

I blinked, afterwards coming to a horrid conclusion.

"_Ew_, you mean my puke?"

BAKA

"No, you moron."

I would've fallen and cracked my head on the tiled cafeteria floors if Anna and Nonoko hadn't caught me.

"Hotaru, you're killing my brain cells," I rubbed my throbbing head.

"That's why you're so stupid," Sumire scoffed.

I glared at her.

Hotaru commenced finishing the rest of her sandwich so she could fixate her full, piercing gaze on me.

"Something's happened to you, Mikan. Believe me, I _know,_" she stressed.

And I knew she knew. Because she was _my_ Hotaru.

"Now that you mention it," Anna began, her finger on her chin thoughtfully, "I think I remember hearing Luna say something about Mikan when I passed her in the hall this morning."

No shit. Of course the bitch would be spreading crappy rumors about me.

"_And_ you never told us why you were sitting behind a potted plant wearing a pedo stalker disguise," Nonoko added, unable to stop a smile from creeping its way to her lips.

"Say _what_?" Sumire blurted.

I rolled my eyes.

"Before you get the _wrong_ idea, Permy, let's start from the _beginning_..."

And I proceeded to tell them everything that had happened.

.

.

.

"Wait. Wait just a sec, girlfriend," Sumire grabbed my shoulders. "_You talked to Natsume and Ruka?!_"

Whatever I had expected to be the first thing out of her mouth was definitely _not_ this.

"Okay, I stumped," I surrendered, letting out a huge, exasperated sigh. "Who in the goddamn _hell_ are—"

A shrill, girly voice suddenly cut me off.

"Mikan Sakura! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

My eyes widened in absolute _horror_ when I recognized who it was.

"Well, speak of the devil, the bitch has arrived," Hotaru announced flatly.

"Okay, this is _not_ good," I muttered anxiously, my mind getting consumed by panic. "What should I do? Holy _shit_, what should I_do_?"

I tried not to hyperventilate as Luna pranced closer and closer to our table. I did _not_ need her humiliating me in front of the whole cafeteria.

"Okay, Mikan, calm down, calm down," I told myself, taking a few deep breaths.

Luna was just a few tables away now.

"On second thought—" I started backing away slowly. "—I'm outta here!"

And I ran for it.

"Ah, Mikan, wait!" Anna chased after me, dragging Nonoko along with her.

"Hey, what about my salad?" Sumire whined as she followed.

Hotaru just sighed and jogged after us.

I raced out of the side door and emerged onto the open grass outside of the cafeteria. Then I turned right and ran to the nearest tree.

Which just so happened to be _the_ sakura tree that I had fallen off of two times in the past twenty-four hours.

Haha, imagine I had to climb up this tree again...

"Climb up," I heard Hotaru order from behind.

"_What_?" I gaped at her in disbelief even as Anna and Nonoko began to heave themselves obediently up the tree.

"I've always wanted to climb a tree!" Anna squealed eagerly.

"Wait 'til you fall off of it," I yelled up to her.

I don't think she heard me.

"Climb up. Your only other option is to be found by Luna," Hotaru stated coldly, bringing me back to attention. "You're exit was rather loud, you know. I'd say there's at most another minute until she sees you. You're just lucky she's wearing bloody four-inch heels."

Sumire reluctantly began to climb, yelping out every ten seconds because she apparently chipped one of her forty dollar nails.

"But—wait—this tree?" I spluttered. "Are you serious...?"

In answer, Hotaru lifted herself up after Sumire, and in less then ten seconds she was hidden by the leaves.

"B-But—you have _no_ idea, Hotaru—this tree and I do_ not_ get along..." I shook my head vigorously as I recalled what had happened the last two times I had climbed this tree.

But I only heard a simple, one-word reply from the midst of the rustling green.

"Fine."

Yeah, okay, fine, Hotaru. Be that way.

Another ten seconds later I was also safely on the tree.

"Grr, you guys are such meanies," I pouted.

All of them shushed me.

_Well._

Two seconds later I found out why. Luna's bleached blonde head came into view right beneath the branch we were all sitting on.

"Where did that ugly bitch go?" I heard her irritated voice.

Haha, she couldn't see us...

Wait—did she just call me an _ugly bitch_?

My jaw dropped in disbelief and I would've probably went on a crazy rampage if the girls hadn't tackled me and knocked the air right out of my lungs. Actually, we almost fell _off_ of the tree. But of course Luna didn't notice, because she was too busy...staring at herself in a jeweled compact mirror.

WHAT.

What happened to looking for me? Did her pea-sized brain already forget?

After applying two thick coats of lip gloss, Luna snapped the compact shut, gave a snobby flick of her blonde tresses, and sashayed away.

Yep, just like that.

When she was out of sight, the girls released me from their clutches.

"Did you see that?" I immediately blurted, pointing a finger at the place where Luna had just stood. "Did you _see_ that? What the hell is wrong with her?"

"She couldn't find you," Hotaru replied, bland as ever.

"So she puts on makeup?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Does that even make sense?"

"It's not supposed to," Hotaru scoffed. "We all know she hasn't a brain."

"Yeah!" I agreed. "That bitch even called me an ugly bitch! I mean, she has the nerve—!"

"But, _but_! Did you see her lip gloss brand?" Sumire squealed excitedly. "_Tickle Pink_! I've been _dying_ to try that on for ages! The glittery shade of pink is so _cute_!"

She was met with a heavy silence and heavy stares as we all trained our eyes on her, wondering if the girl had gone crazy.

"What?" she asked innocently.

And she calls _me_ stupid.

"This tree sure is big..." Anna's cerulean eyes sparkled with wonder as they swept over her surroundings.

"Massive," Nonoko agreed.

Okay, I admit the tree _was_ big. Way bigger than I had imagined. The other two times I had only climbed onto a thin branch jutting out of the huge plant, so I hadn't been able to witness its full size.

But so _what_?

Right now was not the time to be captivated by a big tree.

Just as I was about to once again ask, or _demand_ who Natsume and Ruka were, since they seemed to be the whole cause of the screwed up mess I was in, an unidentified flying object came out of nowhere and hit me square in the back of my head. Being the uber clumsy girl I was, I fell forward and facepalmed myself on a branch. And for a long moment, I just sat there, motionless.

"M-Mikan, are you alright?" Nonoko asked.

She sounded worried. Either that or she was trying not to burst out laughing.

Hotaru held up the object for the girls to see. Her face was blank, but her violet eyes flickered with the slightest amusement.

"A bean bag," she informed me.

"_A bean bag?" _I shot up and grabbed the thing from her hand. "What—where the _hell_ did this come from? I haven't seen a _bean bag_ since, like, third grade!"

The girls (except for Hotaru) exchanged glances and shrugged.

"So you just fell out of the sky and landed smack on my head?" I wiggled the beanie. "Oh, what luck."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "No, you dummy. From the angle that it hit you, the most probable explanation is that someone threw it."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Someone threw it?"

"Ah, Mikan, your forehead is bleeding!" Anna suddenly cried in alarm.

Sure enough, when I reached up to touch the place where it stung the most from my faceplant on the branch, my fingers came back stained crimson.

Oh, joy.

"We need to get you to the nurse," Nonoko fussed. "Like, right now."

I brushed her away nonchalantly.

"C'mon, Nonoko, it's just a cut. And besides, I don't feel like getting off the tree yet."

I lay against the trunk and yawned to prove my point.

Nonoko sighed in exasperation.

"Seriously, Mikan, you are so careless."

I shrugged. Okay, so what if I was?

"More like a lazy bum," Sumire muttered, smirking.

I glared at her.

The bean bag looked completely normal except for a giant 'K' on one side of the yellow fabric. That was probably personalized. I dangled it in front of my face and stared at it for who knows how long. Why would someone chuck a bean bag at me? I'm pretty sure I didn't hold any grudges at school.

Then I snorted out loud, causing the girls (except Hotaru, who was, for some reason, glaring at the tree branches) to look at me curiously.

Oh wait, did I just think that? Oopsies. I can't believe I just forgot that all the girls at school currently seem to have a bit of a problem with my existence.

"Dummy, give me that for a second." Hotaru suddenly snatched the beanie away from me.

Her eyes were narrowed.

Without warning, she recoiled her arm and whipped it into the tree.

"Hey!" I cried at the same time someone else said "Ow!"

I blinked.

Hotaru looked smug.

Turning around and shuffling back, I held my arms up in defense, peering cautiously into the leaves.

"Who's there?"

I heard a loud sigh and some muffled words, and then the branches parted and five people jumped down from above.

My eyes slowly widened in horror.

Life really does hate me.

"'Sup, Polka."

* * *

**Whew! Done! I had actually planned to make the chapter longer than this, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting so long, so I just stopped here.**

**Evil, aren't I? ;D**

**Actually...this chapter was probably boring...I mean, Natsume and Ruka didn't show up at ****_all.._****.**

**I'm starting to feel guilty for making you guys wait so long for a chapter like this...hopefully the next chappie is more interesting.**

**If you have any questions or comments (which I would really appreciate), please don't hesitate to tell me!**

**-momocandy XD**


	4. Waffles

**I'M FINALLY BAAAAAAAAACCCKKK!**

**Been gone basically the whole school year, wasting away under a pile, scratch that, a _mountain_ of schoolwork, then getting all hooked up with Fairy Tail, which, btw, is what I consider one of the most epic animes of all time (I'm planning to write a fanfic for it sometime soon—keyword,_ planning_). ****And yes, along the way, I have sadly completely neglected fanfiction.**

**I really suck at updating, we all know that, but school's ended, and maybe, possibly, I'll start updating faster. **

**Unless I get addicted to another anime again...**

**Yeah, let's just hope that doesn't happen.**

**K then, without further ado, here's the next chappie!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

"YOU!" I immediately shrieked at the Jerk with an angry jab of my finger. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

To think I'd have to see his stupid face a third time before I could get my revenge—argh, I felt pissed just thinking about it. And why the freak was he on a _tree_?

"Okay, that's it. You are most definitely stalking me," I mumbled, glaring at him.

To go to such an extent, and to even bring his friends along—was he _asking_ for a kick in his manlihood? The Jerk's condescending smirk answered my question beautifully.

"Stupid midget—"

"_Excuse_ me?"

"—we were on the tree first."

"And you really except me to believe that?" I fumed as I stood up, itching to just go and punch the guy senseless.

"Uh, Mikan..." Anna tugged on my sleeve as if she wanted to say something.

"_What?_" I snapped at her.

Anna remained indifferent to my irritated response.

"Do you know exactly _who_ you're talking to?"

I glanced at the Jerk with distaste before replying, "Yeah, a jackass. That's all I need to know."

Anna heaved a great sigh as if she had already been expecting this. Then she looked at Sumire questioningly, and Sumire only grinned and shook her head. Anna sighed again before turning back to me.

"Alright, go on, go on, we won't bother you anymore."

I raised an eyebrow curiously, but Anna just shooed my away. So I shrugged and let her be, all the while wondering why Sumire and Nonoko were stifling giggles and stealing suspicious glances at me like, every five seconds.

"Okay, so where were we?" I placed my hands indignantly on my hips as I once again stared down the Jerk.

"I forgot," he deadpanned.

"That was a rhetorical question, you moron," I gritted my teeth. "You better _not_ be mocking me."

"And what if I am?"

I smiled evilly and cracked my knuckles, pleased at the loud, sickening sounds that they made.

"Then that face of yours ain't gonna be so pretty anymore."

The Jerk didn't lose his arrogant air—on the contrary, he seemed to find this all rather amusing.

"I'd like to see you try."

I clenched my fingers into a well-formed, hard-as-iron fist.

"Oh yeah, I'll try."

Believe it or not, I actually had a ton of experience in fights. In my old school I was more or less of a yankee, but then me and Gramps moved and I tried to change myself for the better—which, by the way, has ultimately been successful, but you know, from time to time, especially when I'm mad, my yankee spirit gets going again.

Like right now, as I'm lunging toward the big fat Jerk, fist recoiled and ready to smush some face.

That is, until someone stepped between us and caught my fist in her hand effortlessly. I blinked.

"Hotaru, what're doing? I was just about to beat him up!" I whined, pouting at my indifferent best friend.

Yes, Hotaru Imai, my childhood bestie and the only person in my old school who could win me in a fight.

BAKA BAKA BAKA

"Shut up, dummy," she demanded flatly.

"But—"

BAKA BAKA BAKA

"Are you deaf?"

I shot her a dirty look as I massaged my aching head, but said nothing.

"Hotaru Imai, was it?" The Jerk suddenly said.

I immediately whipped my head to stare intensely at him. He knew Hotaru?

"You shut up too." Hotaru re-aimed her Baka gun at the Jerk's head.

I was so tempted to snatch that bazooka out of her hand right now and blow the Jerk out of the tree like a boss, but the consequences were too frightening to think about. Like being forced to bury myself alive by a certain sadistic woman. So I restrained myself and only looked at the gun wistfully.

Surprisingly, the Jerk quieted.

Well, not really a surprise, I guess, since Hotaru was an awesome person, and her Baka gun was pretty damn intimidating for looks.

"Mikan," she bore me through with her unnerving amethyst eyes.

I instantly snapped out of my annihilate-the-Jerk fantasies.

"Yeah? I'm listening."

"You are the most thick-headed pig I have ever met."

I blinked._ Thick-headed pig...?_ Well, that was a new one.

"Oh, gee thanks," I rolled my eyes. "What did I do this time?" Then I muttered under my breath, "And I was just about to give the Jerk a piece of my mind."

Hotaru crinkled her nose and glared at me like I was some kind of vermin. For a second I was afraid she had heard me and was about to give me some form of hideous torture, but much to my surprise, she just let out a barely audible sigh.

"Baka, if you put even a scratch on this boy and he and his friends go tattle about it, you'll be a rotting corpse by tomorrow morning."

My eyes widened slightly. Well, that was alarming. But I didn't see the grounds for this bold declaration. And even though I knew that Hotaru the Great Genius was never, ever, ever wrong, I still couldn't help but doubt her a teensy tiny bit on this one.

"And why would I be a rotting corpse?" I inquired carefully, seriously interested in her answer.

Hotaru studied me with this disgusted look on her for a very long time. I tilted my head curiously and stared back at her with big innocent eyes. Finally, she pinched the bridge of her nose in soft exasperation and opened her mouth.

And boy, did I get an interesting answer.

"This boy is Natsume Hyuuga, the most popular guy in school. Everybody knows that, you brainless moron."

I froze and continued to stare at Hotaru incomprehensively. Then, for a moment, I forgot that everything that Hotaru the Great Genius said was a hundred percent true.

"Hotaru, I never knew you had a sense of humor, haha!"

As soon as I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. 'Humor' and 'Hotaru' were words that would never belong in the same sentence.

But you have to take into account that my brain wasn't really functioning properly at the moment.

BAKA BAKA BAKA

And that added to my brain damage.

"Stop blithering nonsense. You'll spread your stupidity."

I rubbed my head and grunted grumpily. Then I placed myself in front of this so-called 'Natsume.'

Wait...Natsume?

"Luna was talking about_ you_!" I blurted in realization, pointing at the said guy. "Luna Koizumi, you know her? She's this crazy bitch with serious mental problems and dresses like a whore."

Two guys with sandy-hair snorted next to Natsume. Natsume himself flinched at the name. So he _did_ know her...

"Oh, and who's Ruka?" I remembered. Luna had mentioned that name too.

"Oh, uh...that would be me," a shy, yet familiar voice spoke.

I looked behind Natsume to find the blonde boy from before stepping forward uncertainly.

"Bunny boy!" My eyes lit up and I broke into a grin.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sumire facepalm herself—god knows why.

"H-Hey, Mikan," the blonde greeted me with a soft little smile.

"So, your name's Ruka, isn't it?"

"Ruka Nogi," he confirmed.

"Heh, Luna was talking about you too."

"Oh...really?" Ruka did not look too pleased about that.

I totally knew how he felt.

"Yeah, yeah, we get the point," Sumire finally stepped in and draped an arm over my shoulder. I had been wondering when she would interrupt, with that loud, nosy personality of hers. "But that's not the real problem here. You see, according to what Mikan's told us, someone saw her with Natsume and Ruka in the morning, and she's done a pretty darn job of spreading the word."

There was a heavy silence after that. I started to feel uneasy.

"Shoot, then Mikan's screwed," one of the sandy-haired guys finally said.

Whoop, _exactly_ what I wanted to hear.

"Shaddup, Koko, you're not helping," Sumire growled in his direction.

I vaguely wondered how Sumire knew his name before asking, "Wait, I don't get it. Why would being seen with those two make me screwed?"

"Were you even listening to me, dummy?" Hotaru tilted her Baka gun toward me, her voice softly threatening.

I panicked, but Sumire stepped in front of me.

"Just let her off this once, Hotaru, or we'll never get anywhere."

Hotaru's face was void of emotion, but she did eventually lower her gun just a tad.

I looked at Sumire with renewed respect.

"Anyways, Mikan, I'll explain it for you just once, since you clearly are very poorly informed in this area. Write it on your hand or something," the greenette advised me.

I didn't have a pen though, so whatever.

"Natsume is the most popular boy in school. Ruka's got the same standards since he's his best friend. Same with the other three guys. I guess you could call them an elite group or some shit."

Oh...right.

The Jerk was apparently_ really_ popular.

...I forgot.

"HOW THE HELL IS THAT POSSIBLE?"

Sumire looked unsuprised at my outburst and responded with a shrug.

"Dunno. Girls are simple-minded these days. When a guy's got looks, he's got glory."

I mused over that. Well, there was truth in her words...

I glanced at Natsume and the other guys.

Okay, I admit that they _did_ look better than average...

So Natsume was only popular for his looks, not his character. Alright then, fine by me.

And just like that, the popularity issue was justified.

"So, why am I screwed again?" I asked Sumire.

"I was getting to that," she huffed. "Patience, woman."

I waited. Sumire continued.

"Anyways, Luna's got this huge crush on Natsume that everyone knows about—" Here, she paused momentarily to watch me gag and then choke and make fool out of myself.

"—and any girl that gets too close to him is gonna get a whole shitload of trouble," she finished.

I let all of that sink in. Now everything that happened today totally made sense. But I was far from satisfied.

"So...what's gonna happen to me now?" I asked tentatively.

Sumire shrugged.

"Who knows? I'll paint rainbows on your coffin though, if you'd like."

"Sumire, I don't wanna _die_! Help me!"

"Poor Mikan," Nonoko sighed as she shook her head sadly.

"You could say that again," Anna agreed.

"Poor Mikan."

"...I didn't mean it literally."

"But Sumire—" I tugged at my bestie's sleeve insistently. "—_you_ seem to know these guys well! You even knew that guy's name! So why aren't _you_ dead yet?"

"Oh boy." Sumire heaved an exasperated breath. "I guess I didn't tell you this, huh?"

I eyed her curiously.

"Tell me about what?"

She exhaled. "Well, for starters, Natsume's actually my _cousin_, and—"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, he's my _cousin_. Now shut up and let me continue."

I swear, I was going to spontaneously combust from all the outrageous new stuff I was learning today. My brain wasn't built to carry so much information at once.

"Me, Anna, and Nonoko are like, childhood friends with these guys, since our moms were all buddy buddy and we lived next to each other. Since me and Natsume were the legit cousins, we kinda stuck everybody together—Natsume for the guys and me for the girls. Luna doesn't really bother us that much because we all were already friends before she met Natsume, but we hardly talk to the guys anymore anyways, since none of us have the same classes." Sumire glanced at me. "Good enough for you?"

I slowly nodded my head.

Wowie.

I didn't know so much.

But then again, I had only been here for a month. Moving to a new place had its downside, I guess.

"But if I'm friends with you guys, and you guys are friends with these guys, then Luna wouldn't bother me either, right?" I tried desperately.

"Not gonna work," one of the sandy-haired guys denied mercilessly. "You're the new girl, and you're getting too close to Natsume. That's all it takes for Luna to hunt you down."

I frowned. Well, that was just wonderful. Now what the hell was I supposed to do?

Then I looked curiously at the guy who answered me. He was the one that Sumire told to shut up before.

"What's your name again?"

"Kokoro Yome." He gave me a wolfish grin. "But just call my Koko. And this guy here's my twin bro, Kitsu."

"Kitsuneme," the other boy corrected. "But yeah, call me Kitsu."

I stared them in amusement.

Twins, huh?

My eyes flickered over to Anna and Nonoko.

Twins.

What were the chances?

But I quickly pushed away my match-making thoughts. Those could be saved for later study. Right now there was a much more dire problem that needed to be solved.

"So anyways—" I stopped abruptly mid-sentence when I noticed a small, familiar lump-looking thing in Koko's hand. "Hey, what's that?" I pointed.

Koko jumped and quickly hid his hand behind his back.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all!" he squeaked. "Just your imagination!"

Suspicious.

I grabbed his hand despite his protests and pried his fingers open, only to find a certain beanbag with the letter K stitched into it resting on his palm.

"The beanie!" I exclaimed in mild surprise. Then something clicked in my head. My voice lowered dangerously and my hand tightened around Koko's wrist. "Dear Koko, I don't suppose you were the one who threw it at me?"

I still hadn't forgotten the humiliation of facepalming myself on the tree branch. Someone was gonna pay.

"It was Natsume's idea!" Koko answered frantically, genuinely scared shitless by the death glare I was giving him. "I swear I had nothing to do with it, please have mercy and spare my worthless life!"

"Natsume, huh?" I released Koko and heard him heave a sigh of relief while fervently thanking the gods and saying some other crap about cheese and shit.

"So—" I stepped up to the Jerk and shoved the bean bag in his face, "—what, _exactly_, were you trying to accomplish with this?"

I didn't give a damn if he was popular or not, he was still begging to be smacked.

Natsume just shoved his hands into his pockets nonchalantly and replied, "Dunno. I was bored."

"Is that so?" A vein popped in my head and my evil aura switched to max. "Well, I'm pretty bored right now too. Maybe I'll just go ahead and rearrange your face a bit, just for laughs."

* * *

"And there she goes again—badass Mikan mode," Anna sighed. "Natsume seems to turn her on a lot."

Sumire snorted _very_ loudly and Anna groaned.

"Ugh, you _know_ I didn't mean it that way, Sumire."

"It still wouldn't be wrong though."

Anna watched as Natsume dodged several of her friend's attacks, all the while smirking at Mikan's colorful language.

"Hmm, I doubt it," she muttered skeptically.

But Sumire just smirked. Unlike the pinkette, she sensed some kind of spark between those two. Where it would lead though, she had no idea.

* * *

I have never been so frustrated in my life.

How did the Jerk keep dodging my punches? The only one who was allowed to do that was Hotaru! He didn't have such a privilege! How dare he steal her rights!

I was just about to go all out and start using some legs and feet when my stomach suddenly let out this giant, embarrassing growl and I froze. Then I remembered that I hadn't even had my lunch yet.

Aha, so I was just hungry! That's why I couldn't beat the Jerk!

"Alright," I stood up straight and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, jabbing a finger at Natsume in determined declaration. "We're definitely finishing this another day, got that, bastard? I went easy on you today 'cuz I'm on an empty stomach, but I swear, next time there will be no mercy."

I nodded in satisfaction with that said, then dropped my hand and looked around.

"Now, who wants to get me some damn food?"

I pondered my choices. Going back to the cafeteria would be suicide, going to our dorm would put us at risk of being seen by teachers—namely, Jin-Jin—and I don't think trees tasted that good.

But there was no way in _hell_ I was skipping lunch. I wouldn't be able to survive the rest of the afternoon like that.

I was just about to go with sneaking to our dorms and taking food from the fridge, regardless of the risk, when Sumire tossed a paper bag to me. I caught it and raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but she just told me to look inside. So I did.

And I saw the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my sixteen years of existence.

Waffles.

* * *

It turns out that the guys usually ate lunch on this tree instead of in the cafeteria because their popularity made sitting down at a table in peace quite impossible.

I pitied them, really.

Looking back at it, I guess Natsume really wasn't lying before when he told me that he had been on the tree first.

But of course, there was no way I was ever gonna admit that.

Anyways, Sumire just happened to see their lunches still sitting on the upper branches of the tree—apparently, they were just about to eat when _we_ happened—and like the awesome person she is, she wasted no time in getting up there and snatching the food for ourselves.

My respect for her is steadily increasing. The Jin-Jin incident in the morning has long been forgotten.

And guess what?

I LOVE waffles.

So, despite Koko's defiant protests—the waffles were apparently _his_ lunch—I shoved down one after another of sweet, syrupy delight until all six waffles were tucked neatly into my tummy where they belonged. And then I let Koko cry all he wanted.

It was rather amusing.

.

.

.

Damn, Hotaru's starting to rub off of me.

After all of us girls were done and full and all of the guys had stopped whining, our topic of discussion once again returned to the main problem at hand: Me.

"So, how do you suppose I prevent my social life apocalypse?" I asked.

"Well, there's really no stopping it now," Sumire shrugged. "Luna knows what she knows, and I don't see her changing heart anytime soon."

"Not helping, Sumire," I grumbled. "Phooey, you're so lucky. You don't gotta deal with all of this since you're his _cousin_..."

And I trailed off right there, because I just had the most genius idea ever.

"Hey, hey, hey! What if I pretend to be Natsume's cousin?" I suggested excitedly.

"Hell no," he replied—instant rejection.

However, everyone else looked at one another and contemplated the idea.

"It's actually not half-bad," Sumire mused, thoughtfully twirling a strand of her dark green hair between her fingers.

"It just might work," a smart-looking boy wearing glasses spoke up.

Funny, I didn't even notice him before—he had said nothing up until this point.

"And you are?" I prompted.

"Yuu. Yuu Tobita," he answered quickly, slightly flustered.

"Alright then, Yuu," I grinned. "You look pretty smart, so I'll take your word for it. Starting today, I'm Natsume's cousin!"

"And what if I don't agree?" the guy himself countered.

I gave him a cheerful smile, though the venomous words that came out of my mouth next were quite contradictory to it.

"You're playing this with me, alright, bastard? This is for the sake of my social life. The reason I have to do this is partly your fault anyways, now suck up your girly whining and deal with it."

Natsume stared at me for a long moment. Then he just grunted. Everyone immediately turned to stare at him with OMFG expressions on their faces. (Now where was a darn camera when I needed it?) I simply took that as an A-ok.

Anna was the first to come back to her senses, and after giving Natsume a funny look, she nudged me.

"Well...cousin or not, how are you gonna let Luna and the rest of the girls know? They're probably not gonna believe you even if you tell them."

I smirked. I had already thought this one out.

"For that, we're just gonna need a little rule-breaking."

* * *

I am starting to think that I have mastered the art of humiliating myself and getting into horrid situations. Because it certainly seems that way after what happened next.

I had already explained my plan to everybody, and surprisingly, they had all agreed to it. It was the first time I had ever felt so accomplished in my life.

And so, for celebration, I jumped up and did a cheer of victory.

Of course, I wasn't expecting my foot to land on a banana peel when it came down. I mean, seriously, who leaves banana peels on friggin' _trees_? Then I remembered seeing Hotaru eating a banana before when the rest of us were digging into the guys' lunches.

Yeah.

Damn you, Hotaru.

But the point is, banana peels are real slippery. And slipping while you're on a tree isn't the wisest thing to do. So I was really not at all surprised to find myself tilting backwards more than one was supposed to while one was standing on a tree.

I didn't even have time to curse.

Suddenly, in a whole whirl of colors and sounds, I found myself hanging upside down in a _very_ familiar position with pressure on my right leg.

"Mikan!"

It was Ruka's voice. Thank god, I was saved.

I tried not to be too annoyed by the position I was in though. Ugh, I was starting to despise skirts.

But I spoke way too soon.

With a jerk that scared the shit out of me, I was suddenly free-falling to the ground again, and then another jerk stopped me and left me completely out of breath.

I tried to look up to see what happened, but soon found it impossible.

Then, withough warning, I was falling again. And this time there was no jerk to keep me from hitting the solid ground—_face-first_.

What really knocked the breath out of me, though, was the two heavy..._thing_s...that fell on top of me afterwards.

And I stayed that way, getting squished to death under two very heavy objects, for ten, extremely long seconds.

I really did almost die back there. Scariest experience I had ever had in my whole life.

"Shit! Mikan, are you okay?" A frantic voice cried as the weight on top of me suddenly disappeared.

Ruka's voice...he fell down with me?

"Just leave her be. Damn, my arm..."

Argh, Natsume.

...wait, did he fall too?

That would explain the two heavy_ things. _And now Natsume couldn't even tease me about falling off trees anymore. Bleh.

I tried to lift myself up, but my body ached all over. Something warm trickled down my forehead—I guessed the beanbag cut had opened up again. My nose didn't feel quite right, but I don't think it was broken either. And my cheeks were still numb from the initial shock of the impact.

"Mikan, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Anna's panicked voice rang out distantly above me.

I decided I should make some sort of sound before she had a seizure or heart attack, and opened my mouth to do so. But before I could utter a word, I suddenly heard a gasp and then a hurried rustling of leaves. After that, silence.

My curiosity was killing me.

With much difficulty, I forced myself to tilt my head up and open my eyes.

Only to see a pair of fancy, old-fashioned leather shoes five inches from my head.

I immediately felt my heart sink to my toes. Slowly, I raised my head, and tried my best to smile when I finally met the eyes of a pissed off, ruler-wielding, glasses man.

.

.

.

Wonderful.

Just fucking wonderful.

.

.

.

Someone, please kill me now.

* * *

**Ohmigod I spent so much time on this chappie it's not even funny! **

**This is what happens when you get a severe case of writers block, which I find myself very prone to. You write a whole story and then you erase it and start over again because it sounds crappy and then you do the same thing over and over.**

**It gets tiring and frustrating, believe me. **

**I finally decided to stick with what I have here, but at this point**** I didn't even want to proofread it, so its probably full of grammar/spelling mistakes and such.**

**Do tell me if you find any. Criticism is also very much appreciated. One thing I really want to know is if the story's too slow-paced, 'cuz it sometimes feels like that.**

**I also just wanted to say that I am mega grateful to all the readers, if any, who have still stuck with this story despite my poor efforts to update it.**

**Thankies very much!**

**-momocandy XD**


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